Most currency strategists still expect the U.S. dollar to weaken in the months ahead, even after a roughly 4% rebound from May’s low, a Reuters FX poll conducted June 26–July 1 showed. They pointed to cooling oil prices that are easing inflation worries and reducing expectations for Federal Reserve rate hikes. A growing minority has turned less bearish, with about one-third now forecasting the euro to be flat or lower against the dollar over the next three months. Oil was cited as a key driver of the outlook.

U.S.-Iran tensions remained elevated, with informal technical talks held in Doha even as Tehran declined high-level engagement with U.S. officials. At the same time, strong U.S. job-openings data reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve will stay focused on fighting inflation. Risk aversion picked up, pushing U.S. equity futures lower, while Nike fell 3.3% after earnings and Shutterstock sank after ending its merger with Getty Images. The geopolitical risk premium was seen spilling into energy and equity markets.

Russia has begun importing gasoline from India after fuel shortages emerged following Ukrainian strikes on its energy infrastructure. The shortages have led to rationing and long queues at filling stations, alongside a record surge in domestic gasoline prices. An initial 60,000 metric tons has already been dispatched from India, and Russia plans to import up to 400,000 tons a month from suppliers including Belarus.

Circle (CRCL) shares fell 16.55% to $62 on June 27, after the stock was removed on June 26 from the Russell 1000 Growth, Russell 3000 Growth and Russell Midcap Growth indexes, prompting passive funds to cut holdings. At the same time, Open Standard launched its Open USD stablecoin with an alliance of 140 companies including Visa, Coinbase and BlackRock, potentially diverting interest income tied to USDC, which accounts for about 99% of Circle’s revenue. CEO Jeremy Allaire said USDC represented 80% of on-chain dollar stablecoin transaction volume, but investors have questioned the sustainability of Circle’s revenue model.

South Korea’s Financial Services Commission (FSC) referred two crypto price-manipulation cases to prosecutors in late June 2026. One case involves a whale investor accused of exploiting price gaps between domestic and overseas exchanges, while the other centers on rapid bot-driven trading that allegedly pumped locally issued “kimchi coins.” The inquiry targets smaller tokens listed only on South Korean exchanges and does not name specific assets.

First Atlantic Nickel & Cobalt has appointed Gary Stanley, the former director of the Office of Critical Minerals and Metals at the United States Department of Commerce, as a senior strategic advisor. Stanley was the lead coordinating author of the June 2019 Federal Critical Mineral Strategy and was involved in U.S. policy work including the Inflation Reduction Act. The appointment follows the company’s June 24 announcement that it produced a high-grade alloy concentrate grading up to 71.9% nickel and 1.76% cobalt from its Pipestone XL project using its ONSHORE MAX™ magnetic recovery process. The company said the smelter-free process could enable direct refining of nickel sulphate (NiSO₄) that qualifies under Section 45X(c)(6), while noting the project remains at the exploration stage with no confirmed resources.

A report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said U.S. workers’ share of national income fell to a record low of 54.1% in early 2026. Inflation also picked up again to its highest level in more than three years, with gasoline prices rising notably. The combination has left about two-thirds of American households facing financial strain, and the article identifies higher gasoline prices as a direct contributor to the pressure.

Venga has been authorized by Spain’s Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV), qualifying it as a Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA). The approval was granted just weeks before MiCA’s transitional period ends, making it one of the early licenses issued under the new framework. CA is Venga’s native token and is used for payments, staking and governance, with its positioning centered on EU-compliant infrastructure support. The license confirms Venga’s operating entity has cleared the EU’s highest regulatory entry bar, strengthening CA’s perceived utility and credibility in compliance-focused use cases.